Email a copy of 'Offseason Trades Fuel Athletics' Success' to a friend
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By Ben Nicholson-Smith | at
Email a copy of 'Offseason Trades Fuel Athletics' Success' to a friend
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rockfordone
It all starts for them tomorrow night– very tough Sept schedule – could end up under .500
FS54 2
you gotta do what you gotta do. I am going to be rooting for them since they have multiple ex-Nats.
Athletics For Life
They are 15 games over .500 right now and you think they might finish under .500? That is almost mathematically impossible. Keep underestimating. That is what everyone has been doing all year and they keep winning.
halflink123
Have to tip my hat to Beane. He has made some trades that make you cringe (1 year of Matt Holiday for CarGon, Huston Street), but this offseason he went for high ceiling guys (Parker, Cespedes, Reddick), he was panned at the time but he added a lot of talent
rainyperez
No, it’s not mathematically impossible because of how many game there are in September. He never said it was going to happen just that it could happen.
I have many A’s friends as fans and none of them could predicted that record. No one could have predicted that they would be where they are at.
As for underestimating I’m sure no one is anymore. Everyone already sees what great pitching they have. Whether the young arms hold up is another question.
Athletics For Life
Yeah, that’s why I said almost. It’d have to be an epic collapse.
Karkat
I can’t imagine what an epic September collapse would be like.
Dan Kim
didn’t that happen to the redsox last year? isn’t that happening to them this month?
Karkat
Wow, I really didn’t think I needed to mark that as sarcasm.
Athletics For Life
I’ll also add that I never predicted them to do well either. I was in the 70-win range. Just enjoying the ride now.
rainyperez
I think it’s great! I just want the A’s to troll the MLB/Selig and make it to the World Series.
I will root for them in the World Series as long as it isn’t against the team I root for.
oaktownas650
This team has chemistry. Everyone contributes, I mean everyone. No one is above anyone else. There are no superstars, just young guys trying to prove themselves Getting thrown in the mix very early in their careers and backed by a few veterans. You’re right, in September the A’s have one of the toughest schedules. But if they manage to make the playoffs after playing such difficult teams… watch out for Oakland.
melonis_rex
except they’ve actually been just fine at beating the good teams this season.
.500 or better against every AL contender this season.
A collapse is possible (because it always is until the team mathematically clinches), but as always, not likely.
Karkat
Well, they have a 51% chance of playing in the “postseason,” if we’re really going to include the play-in game there. It’s going to take a while before I stop putting the quotes around “playoffs” when referring to the new wildcard.
Regardless, the A’s have had the second half I’d hoped the Sox would (they were both 43-43 at the All-Star Break), so I gotta hand it to them for their work so far. I’m just glad I don’t see my friend from Oakland much anymore -_-
1980CHAMPS
I still don’t get how Cahill is billed as a top of rotation guy and why he was able to fetch so much.
corey23
he’s good (beane)
vtadave
I don’t think anyone ever billed him as anything more than a solid #3.
RepOak
Uh yea they’re actually 72-57 and have sole position of the first wild card spot 🙂
22deputydo33
it is amazing how the a’s trade away their top players and are still around and in the hunt for a playoff berth. they might make it as one of the wild card teams,but i do not see them going all the way. they do not have enough big horses to get it done.
baseball52
The season after Moneyball came out. Oh the irony.
Iconoclast17
I remember some A’s fans were complaining that Beane didn’t get enough for closer Andrew Bailey. They claimed Reddick-Sweeney was a push. Well, Bailey finally got off the DL and Reddick has given new life both on the field and in the clubhouse to the team. In his first few months Josh hit more home runs than will Sweeney in his entire career.
And, Beane continues to make the under the radar acquisitions that helped bring the A’s a winner for the first time in 6 years—guys like Inge, Smith and a host of no-name relievers. Most importantly, the team began to move away from the passive walk-trollers like Derek Barton and Michael Taylor, giving HITTERS such as Brandon Moss and Chris Carter a real chance.
Beane’s made some questionable moves in the past, but everything he’s done since replacing his friend Geren with Bob Melvin has worked.
Jason G
I remember reading that people said Reddick for Sweeney was even, but I was pretty sure anyone saying that had not seen both guys hit. Sweeney has never had anywhere near the power potential Reddick has (any pop Sweeney has ever had is strictly imaginary/speculative).
MadmanTX 2
Success? The A’s are still behind the Rangers and they won’t make the playoffs. That they are doing better than the Angels is more because the Angels spent unwisely. Must be something about LA those teams makes them want to blow hundreds of millions of dollars on declining players.
corey23
Logic >you
The angels are still doing good enough to be ahead of where the A’s ‘should’ be this year. 4 games back of first place is pretty successful at the end of august for a team with low expectations pre season.
We get it, texas is doing a good job balancing young talent and $$ players, no question the best in MLB… but give some credit where credit is due.
JayD
3rd best record in the AL *is* pretty successful. Impressive even, considering the fact that they have the lowest payroll in MLB. Hats off to them for competing with teams that are spending 3 times more.
Richard D
The success the A’s are having, along with the national exposure, will make Oakland a more free agent-friendly team. I think players will want to play for Melvin.